diff --git a/src/circuit/gadget/sinsemilla/merkle.rs b/src/circuit/gadget/sinsemilla/merkle.rs
index b7f8edc6f..38889b120 100644
--- a/src/circuit/gadget/sinsemilla/merkle.rs
+++ b/src/circuit/gadget/sinsemilla/merkle.rs
@@ -452,32 +452,30 @@ impl<C: CurveAffine, const PATH_LENGTH: usize, const K: usize, const MAX_WORDS:
             use crate::constants::{L_ORCHARD_BASE, MERKLE_CRH_PERSONALIZATION};
             use crate::primitives::sinsemilla::HashDomain;
 
-            let l_star = i2lebsp::<10>(l_star as u32);
-            let left: Vec<_> = left
-                .value()
-                .unwrap()
-                .to_le_bits()
-                .iter()
-                .by_val()
-                .take(L_ORCHARD_BASE)
-                .collect();
-            let right: Vec<_> = right
-                .value()
-                .unwrap()
-                .to_le_bits()
-                .iter()
-                .by_val()
-                .take(L_ORCHARD_BASE)
-                .collect();
-            let merkle_crh = HashDomain::new(MERKLE_CRH_PERSONALIZATION);
+            if let (Some(left), Some(right)) = (left.value(), right.value()) {
+                let l_star = i2lebsp::<10>(l_star as u32);
+                let left: Vec<_> = left
+                    .to_le_bits()
+                    .iter()
+                    .by_val()
+                    .take(L_ORCHARD_BASE)
+                    .collect();
+                let right: Vec<_> = right
+                    .to_le_bits()
+                    .iter()
+                    .by_val()
+                    .take(L_ORCHARD_BASE)
+                    .collect();
+                let merkle_crh = HashDomain::new(MERKLE_CRH_PERSONALIZATION);
 
-            let mut message = l_star.to_vec();
-            message.extend_from_slice(&left);
-            message.extend_from_slice(&right);
+                let mut message = l_star.to_vec();
+                message.extend_from_slice(&left);
+                message.extend_from_slice(&right);
 
-            let expected = merkle_crh.hash(message.into_iter()).unwrap();
+                let expected = merkle_crh.hash(message.into_iter()).unwrap();
 
-            assert_eq!(expected.to_bytes(), result.value().unwrap().to_bytes());
+                assert_eq!(expected.to_bytes(), result.value().unwrap().to_bytes());
+            }
         }
 
         Ok(result)